Officials from the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) spent their night monitoring a Loggerhead turtle nest at Golden Bay. Following information provided by members of the public some time after 10pm, ERA officials immediately went on site and confirmed that eggs had been laid shortly before midnight.  They then proceeded to assess the situation and decide on the most appropriate way forward to ensure that the nest was not in any danger. The last time such a nest was confirmed was in Ġnejna, back in 2012, making this a very exciting and important event.

The ERA compliance officials were relieved of their duties at around 3 in the morning, when volunteers from the NGO Nature Trust took over. Later in the morning, Police from the Administrative Law Enforcement Section and of the District Section, rangers from the Majjistral Park, as well as other compliance officers of ERA were again on site. The MTA provided shelter and water to officers and volunteers surveilling the nest.  It is of utmost importance that the nesting site does not sustain any negative impacts from the activities nearby.

Such joint effort is vital for the viability of the eggs within the nest, said a spokesperson for the ERA, who welcomed and thanked all involved for the support given especially the volunteers of Nature Trust.

The turtle that nested in Golden Bay yesterday night is a loggerhead turtle (Maltese: il-fekruna l-komuni), scientifically known as Caretta caretta, which is a long-living, slowly maturing marine species that inhabits tropical to warm temperate areas. This species is currently classified as globally endangered by the World Conservation Area (IUCN) and is also protected by various national and international legislation.  Capturing, killing, taking, and trading these turtles, as well as the deliberate disturbance of these species, particularly during the period of breeding, rearing and migration, is prohibited and subject to legal action.  Even the destruction of eggs or taking of eggs from the wild is strictly prohibited and constitutes a criminal offence.  In fact the local ‘Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations’ impose a minimum fine of nearly €500 and going up to nearly €2400 for each egg that may be destroyed or taken from the wild.  Golden Bay itself is a protected area that also boasts a Blue Flag status.  Such turtle nestings increase the value and rating of Blue Flag bays.

Presently loggerhead nests are mostly found in the central and eastern part of the Mediterranean basin, mainly in Libya, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt, but small populations also nest in Tunisia, Sicily, and Lampedusa. In the past turtle species also nested in southern Italy and Corsica, apart from Malta. There is evidence that nesting incidences in the Maltese Islands are on the increase.

For further information, please contact:

Claire Cordina Borg
Unit Manager National Affairs
Strategy & Communication Directorate
Environment and Resources Authority (ERA)
T: + 356 2292 3500   E:  [email protected]

 

 

 

 

Perit Ruben Abela graduated as an architect and civil engineer from the University of Malta in 1992 with a specialisation in Land-use Planning and Urban Design. In 1995 he obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management and an MSc in Conservation Technology in 1997.

For 14 years (1992-2006) he was employed by the Planning Authority and later MEPA, serving in managerial positions in Development Control and Enforcement Units. Since 2006 he has been working as a manager at Heritage Malta and was responsible for a number of conservation and restoration projects, the last one being the conservation and restoration of Fort St Angelo, where he was the Project Leader of this project funded through the European Regional Development Fund.

Between 1995 and 2014 he was a part-time lecturer in the Faculty of the Built Environment, of the University of Malta, lecturing in conservation studies at under-graduate and post-graduate courses.

In 2015 he was appointed by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Sustainable Development and Climate Change as a member on the steering committee of In-Nwadar National Park.

For three years (1993 – 1995), Perit Abela was a member of the Heritage Advisory Committee within the Planning Authority, giving advice on development proposed on buildings forming part of our architectural heritage. Between May 2013 and March 2016, he was a member of the Natural Heritage Advisory Committee within MEPA, giving advice on development which could have an impact on natural heritage. He has been appointed on the Valletta and Floriana; Cottonera; and Mdina Rehabilitation Committees since May 2013, and was recently appointed as an independent member on the Environment and Resources Authority Board and one of ERA’s two representatives on the Executive Council of the Planning Authority.

Between 1998 and 2002, Perit Abela was elected as president of UPAP the house-union of professional staff at MEPA. For the last thirty years, he worked in the voluntary sector in a number of organisations and was founder of the local NGO Wirt iż-Żejtun.

He is author of a number of papers, publications and articles.

Late Saturday night, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) communicated with the Police to investigate the case of a photo which was posted on Facebook, about a group of Maltese divers who stated that they had caught a great white shark. The shark in question, which in all probability is actually a female Short-fin Mako Shark, is a protected species.  Great White Sharks, which resemble this species, are also protected. The Monitoring & Compliance Unit of ERA is actively collaborating with the Police as the investigation is on-going.

‘BioSnippet’, is a novel initiative being launched by the newly established Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) to disseminate interesting information on biodiversity.

’Biological diversity’, or ‘biodiversity’ in short, is a term used to collectively refer to the variety of living things and their habitats. Without their habitat, living things would not thrive, so habitats are considered crucial to sustain life itself, even that of humans.

BioSnippet is being launched on the occasion of the International Day for BiologicalDiversity – 22 May.  Look out for new BioSnippets that ERA will be publishing, with information on species and habitats particularly concerning Malta – here

The new Environment Minister, Dr Jose Herrera promised to continue on the footpaths of his predecessor in order for the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) to become truly professional, efficient and dedicated. Minister Herrera said this during a recent visit at Hexagon House, where he had the opportunity to meet up with the employees of the newly established authority.

This was Dr Herrera’s first visit at the authority’s premises since his appointment as Minister for Environment following the recent cabinet reshuffle. During his visit the Minister emphasised the fact that the setting up of the ERA showed that the environment was a priority for the Government. Dr Herrera also noted that there was much work to be done, mostly with regards to capacity building, including human resources, the IT system migration and improvements to the building infrastructure.

The Minister was shown around by ERA Chairman Professor Victor Axiak and he also had the opportunity to meet the members of the Authority’s Board.

 

Michelle Piccinino has been appointed as the new Director for the Environment within the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) following a call for applications.

Michelle Piccinino has graduated as an architect and civil engineer from the University of Malta in June 1995. Since then she held several senior positions with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, including but not limited to being a member of advisory bodies to coordinating large scale and projects of national interest.

Her multidisciplinary approach has enabled her to adapt to the various cross-cutting-roles and to effectively and constantly involve the different stakeholders in the process. She has represented the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on various boards and committees and had a leading role in negotiations at high-level bi-lateral meetings.

During the past months Ms. Piccinino has been involved in the in the demerger process of MEPA and the eventual setup of the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), including the legislative and the administrative setup of the new authority.

She is married to Ivan and mother to Laura and Luca Aidan.

Nine new marine protected areas covering a total area of 3,450 kilometres squared around the Maltese islands have been proposed by Malta.

These marine protected areas were chosen to form part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network (an ecological network of protected areas designed to protect the ecologically important habitats and species across Europe) and is based on the results of two EU LIFE+ projects, namely the LIFE+ MIGRATE and LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project.

These new sites are an addition to the five marine Natura 2000 sites already in place in Maltese waters, which were based primarily on the presence of Posidonia seagrass meadows.

The nine new sites reach beyond the immediate coastal waters and are within the Malta’s 25 nautical mile zone. Six of these sites were designated for the protection of seabird species, another site was designated for the protection of loggerhead turtle, while two more sites were chosen for seabirds as well as turtles and dolphins.

The EU LIFE+ MIGRATE project, which project has started in October 2012 and is ending in April 2016, aimed at identifying important areas for the loggerhead turtle (il-fekruna tal-baħar il-komuni) and of the bottlenose dolphin (id-denfil ta’ geddumu qasir) in Maltese waters. The project was led by the Environment and Resources Authority with the participation of KAI Marine Services (Spain) and the Ministry for Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change (MSDEC), and the cofinancement of the Bank of Valletta (BOV).

Ms Carmen Mifsud, who was managing the MIGRATE project, said that “the surveys and scientific work carried out throughout the project helped to gather more information on loggerhead turtles and the bottlenose dolphin in Malta, as well as on whales and other dolphins, but it also helped to identify important areas which are hence being proposed as Natura 2000 sites”.

On the other hand, the related EU LIFE+ Malta Seabird Project  is the largest seabird conservation project carried out in Malta. Through extensive and innovative research, the project aimed at identifying areas at sea essential for three seabirds in Malta, namely the Yelkouan Shearwater (il-garnija), the Scopoli’s Shearwater (iċ-ċiefa) and the European Storm-petrel (il-kanġu).  This project was led by BirdLife Malta in collaboration with the Ministry for Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change (MSDEC), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves (SPEA). The Environment and Resources Authority has indicated that “The Authority has worked with MSDEC and the LIFE+ Malta Seabirds project so as to propose sites important for such seabirds as Natura 2000 sites, and will now endeavour to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the setting up of adequate and sustainable management measures for these sites”.

In this respect, it is common misconception that sites listed as protected areas are no-go areas. This is in fact not true; neither does it mean that no fishing can take place there. Malta is expected to monitor and manage these sites in a sustainable manner, making sure that protected populations in these areas are safeguarded for future generations.

The Environmental Resources Authority (ERA), which was recently set up as part of the Government’s plan to demerge Mepa, marked the occasion of Earth Day (22nd April). This was a great opportunity for ERA to provide information on the new Authority. Sixth-form students had the chance to get to know more about the EU funded projects administrated by ERA, including Life BaĦAR and Life+ Project Migrate, as well as EU’s wide Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Those who visited ERA’s stand were keen to know and understand more fully the Authority’s work, as representatives from ERA answered questions and queries put forward by the students. During the same event, experts from ERA held a talk on trade in endangered species.

This event was organised at the Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School in Naxxar by the Department of Environmental Science & the Green Committee at GCHSS in collaboration with the Directorate of Curriculum Management (MEDE). Representatives from ERA joined other NGO’s and entities from the University of Malta as they hosted stands and exhibited interesting information about the education for sustainable development.